Reviewed by Lois Henderson for Readers' Favorite

Kodi’s Adventures: How I Learned to Defeat the Time Snatcher by Mindy Hudon and illustrated by Barbara Szepesi Szucs is about a young boy named Kodi who, as far back as he can remember, always had his time snatched away. The story starts on his first day at middle school. Kodi’s relationship with his mom is plagued by his tardiness, as she must disrupt her busy schedule as a working mom to take him to school whenever he misses the school bus. He is known at school for being a latecomer and is teased mercilessly about it by his classmates. He also leaves school projects till the last moment. In short, Kodi has a major problem; he is a dreamer and constantly imagines different situations in which he and others are involved. He is also easily distracted from the tasks at hand.

In Mindy Hudon’s Kodi’s Adventures, the turning point comes when a speech-language pathologist is a guest speaker in Kodi’s class. The way she helps Kodi and his mom defeat the Time Snatcher highlights the importance of such a professional within the school environment, making their post accessible to middle schoolers. Their presence provides reassurance for students having problems that a professional may be able to help solve. Time management and planning, the role of brain and executive functions, time estimation, and a time challenge, are all discussed in easily understood language concerning Kodi’s daily routine. The book ends with several helpful exercises on time management and organization that readers can do. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has done a fine job with Kodi’s Adventures to promote and clarify the role of the speech-language pathologist in schools. It should be a true asset in any school-related resource center, but especially at the middle school level.